Today BPI announced the launch of the BPI GoldStar Contractor program, a companywide credentialing program that recognizes and rewards home performance contractors committed to the principle that quality is profitable and can set them apart in the marketplace. The program rolls out in tandem with a consumer outreach campaign to educate the public on the exceptional quality of BPI GoldStar Contractors.

The program focuses on strengthening contractors' internal quality control processes to help improve services, reduce waste and invest in systems that result in greater profits and customer satisfaction. Company management and staff build quality management skills by participating in training and business-to-business mentoring that rewards progress with discounts on BPI certification and renewal fees, industry conferences and other BPI products and services.

"We've got a lot of smart building scientists in this industry. But it takes more than technical skills and hard work to succeed; you also need smart business management systems that fit your company and your marketplace," said Larry Zarker, BPI CEO. "BPI GoldStar Contractors know they're not perfect. But they're committed to two core principles: delivering high quality whole house solutions to their customers, and continuous process improvement in every aspect of their day to day operations."

The BPI GoldStar Contractor program replaces BPI's former Accredited Contracting Company program. The new program drives service improvement through front-end quality management training of contractors, rather than by catching poor performance through back-end QA inspections after work is done. All current BPI Accredited Contracting Companies meet the new qualifying criteria and are automatically grandfathered into the new BPI GoldStar Contractor program.

Working with the most respected experts in the home performance industry, including Advanced Energy, EnergyCircle Pro and others, the BPI GoldStar Contractor program introduces contractors to established Quality Management System (QMS) processes, tools, templates and problem solving techniques tailored to home performance contracting. Topics include lead generation and management, customer service, labor pricing, cash flow budgeting, collections policy, marketing, search engine optimization and employee retention.

Training will take place via free webinars and subsidized training seminars, and through a mentoring network administered by BPI. BPI GoldStar Contractors will also have access to BPI's QMS microsite, an online storehouse of practical templates, sample policies and spreadsheets, videos, articles and other quality management tools tailored to the home performance industry.

"No contracting company has ever made less money by doing things right the first time," said John Tooley of Advanced Energy. "Quality management experts estimate that 25-40 percent of dollars spent by a typical contracting business is wasted. Companies that are truly focused on quality don't spend more money. Instead they reduce waste, cut operating costs and invest in processes that result in greater profits and customer loyalty."

Consumer Outreach: Key elements of the BPI GoldStar Contractor consumer campaign includes Google Adwords® search engine and display advertising that drives homeowners to BPI's contractor locator tool at www.bpi.org. BPI is also creating a dedicated consumer website that features an interactive online energy audit tool leading to the contractor locator, videos, case studies and other resources. BPI is also building new relationships with leading home improvement media outlets to raise awareness of BPI GoldStar Contractors and the value of whole house home performance energy upgrades.

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